Local Public Health Laboratories Research Articles

TheiaEuk: a species-agnostic bioinformatics workflow for fungal genomic characterization.

The clinical incidence of antimicrobial-resistant fungal infections has dramatically increased in recent years. Certain fungal pathogens colonize various body cavities, leading to life-threatening bloodstream infections. However, the identification and characterization of fungal isolates in laboratories remain a significant diagnostic challenge in medicine and public health. Whole-genome sequencing provides an unbiased and uniform identification pipeline for fungal pathogens but most bioinformatic analysis pipelines focus on prokaryotic species. To this end, TheiaEuk_Illumina_PE_PHB (TheiaEuk) was designed to focus on genomic analysis specialized to fungal pathogens. TheiaEuk was designed using containerized components and written in the workflow description language (WDL) to facilitate deployment on the cloud-based open bioinformatics platform Terra. This species-agnostic workflow enables the analysis of fungal genomes without requiring coding, thereby reducing the entry barrier for laboratory scientists. To demonstrate the usefulness of this pipeline, an ongoing outbreak of C. auris in southern Nevada was investigated. We performed whole-genome sequence analysis of 752 new C. auris isolates from this outbreak. Furthermore, TheiaEuk was utilized to observe the accumulation of mutations in the FKS1 gene over the course of the outbreak, highlighting the utility of TheiaEuk as a monitor of emerging public health threats when combined with whole-genome sequencing surveillance of fungal pathogens. A primary result of this work is a curated fungal database containing 5,667 unique genomes representing 245 species. TheiaEuk also incorporates taxon-specific submodules for specific species, including clade-typing for Candida auris (C. auris). In addition, for several fungal species, it performs dynamic reference genome selection and variant calling, reporting mutations found in genes currently associated with antifungal resistance (FKS1, ERG11, FUR1). Using genome assemblies from the ATCC Mycology collection, the taxonomic identification module used by TheiaEuk correctly assigned genomes to the species level in 126/135 (93.3%) instances and to the genus level in 131/135 (97%) of instances, and provided zero false calls. Application of TheiaEuk to actual specimens obtained in the course of work at a local public health laboratory resulted in 13/15 (86.7%) correct calls at the species level, with 2/15 called at the genus level. It made zero incorrect calls. TheiaEuk accurately assessed clade type of Candida auris in 297/302 (98.3%) of instances. TheiaEuk demonstrated effectiveness in identifying fungal species from whole genome sequence. It further showed accuracy in both clade-typing of C. auris and in the identification of mutations known to associate with drug resistance in that organism.

16. Evaluation of a Monkeypox virus PCR assay and suggestions for future improvement

Abstract Background Monkeypox virus is an Orthopoxvirus in the Poxviridae family currently responsible for an ongoing global epidemic including active transmission in all 50 US states. To date, nearly 12,000 US cases have been confirmed, with the largest case count in New York State, where over 2,500 cases have been confirmed. Of these, the vast majority (greater than 90%) of cases are residents of New York City (NYC). Nearly all described cases have been identified in men, predominantly in men who have sex with men. Until recently, laboratory testing for Monkeypox virus was limited to state and local public health laboratories or the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Northwell Health is the largest healthcare provider in the NYC region and is responsible for molecular PCR testing for over 25 hospitals in the area. Methods We describe the evaluation of two real-time PCR assays developed by the CDC: one specific for Monkeypox virus and the other a generic Orthopoxvirus assay. We describe performance characteristics in a high-prevalence patient population, identify room for improvement in future assay iterations, and discuss potential scalability of the assay and portability to an ultra high-throughput platform. Results We evaluated the CDC Orthopoxvirus and Monkeypox virus PCR assays using 50 clinical specimens collected from patients presenting with lesions. We determined the limit of detection for both assays is 250 copies/mL. Additionally the assays are highly specific with no cross-reactivity with other viruses tested, including HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV. One significant limitation is the high rate of indeterminate results due to the use of an RNase P specimen control. Indeterminate results were not the result of assay inhibition and may be from inadequate specimen collection. However, since RNase P signal was often absent in positive specimens, the clinical impact of the RNase P result is questionable. Conclusion The CDC Orthopoxvirus and Monkeypox virus PCR assays were useful tools for clinical laboratories to launch rapid testing capacity for these viruses early in the course of the outbreak. However, limitations of the assays prevent them from being expanded to more high-throughput testing platforms. Moving forward, additional work is needed to optimize these PCR assays for more widespread clinical use. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Sustainable Laboratory Capacity Building After the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in the Republic of Guinea.

Background: The 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola virus disease outbreak heavily impacted the Republics of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The outbreak uncovered the weaknesses of the public health systems, including inadequately trained and insufficient health personnel as well as limited and poorly equipped health infrastructures. These weaknesses represent significant threats to global health security. In the wake of the outbreak, affected countries made urgent requests for international engagement to help strengthening the public health systems.Methods: This work describes the successful multi-year implementation of a laboratory capacity building program in the Republic of Guinea. The program integrated biorisk and quality management systems training, infectious diseases diagnostic training, facility engineering and maintenance training, and mentorship to strengthen Guinea's bio-surveillance capacity.Results: The major outcome of these efforts was an established and local staff-operated public health laboratory that performs disease surveillance and reporting and diagnostic of priority diseases and pathogens of security concerns.Conclusions: This work has improved the Guinea country's capabilities to address country public health issues and preparedness to respond to future infectious disease threats.

Getting back on track: control of covid-19 outbreaks in the community.

Peter Roderick , Alison Macfarlane, and Allyson M Pollock argue there’s still time to change tack on the UK’s ad hoc system for covid-19 tracking, testing, and contact tracing Historically, England’s system of communicable disease control has relied on close cooperation between local health services and authorities. General practitioners, NHS and public health laboratories, and local public health officers play key roles, backed by legal notification requirements. That local system has gradually been eroded over several decades. (box 1) But instead of prioritising and rebuilding this system at the start of this epidemic, the government has created a separate system which steers patients away from GPs, avoids local authorities, and relies on commercial companies and laboratories to track, test, and contact trace. The ad hoc parallel system in England has three components: Box 1 ### Erosion of local communicable disease control in England At its height, local communicable disease control was supported by more than 60 national, regional, and local public health laboratories. The service was strengthened from 1977-2002 by the creation of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre in Colindale. Erosion began after NHS reorganisation in 1974 and continued when the Public Health Laboratory Service Board was abolished in 2003 and its local laboratories transferred to NHS trusts, at the same time as communicable disease control was centralised in the Health Protection Agency. In 2012, the Health and Social Care Act abolished locally based bodies in England and carved public health functions out of the NHS. Public Health England was set up as an executive agency to fulfil the government’s duty to protect the public from disease, with only nine laboratories and eight regional centres. Local authorities were charged with improving public health. Each local authority was required, acting jointly with the secretary of state, to appoint a director of public health, with responsibility for exercising the authority’s public health functions. … RETURN TO TEXT

Use of the Bio-Rad Geenius HIV-1/2 supplemental assay for the testing of oral fluids for the presence of HIV antibody

There is currently an absence of products which are cleared by the FDA to provide supplemental testing for oral fluid for HIV antibody. We created a procedure for the use of the BioRad Geenius HIV-1/2 as a supplemental antibody test for oral fluid specimens. The modified procedure was evaluated for its ability to detect HIV-1 antibody in oral fluid in specimens that were found to be repeatedly reactive for HIV-1 antibody by way of the Avioq HIV-1 enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Evaluated were oral fluid specimens analyzed at a local public health laboratory which were stored frozen and oral fluid specimens collected prospectively. Prospectively collected specimens were from patients whose HIV status was subsequently assessed through blood-based testing. For retrospective specimens found repeatedly EIA reactive, and positive by Western blot, the modified Geenius was found positive in 37/38 instances (97.4 %). Those specimens with a mean EIA signal-to-cutoff (S/CO) greater than 3.00 were found to be positive by Geenius in 34/34 (100 %) of instances. For specimens found repeated reactive by EIA and positive by Western blot with mean S/CO less than or equal to 3.00, the Geenius was positive in 4/5 instances (80 %) of instances. For prospectively collected specimens, the Geenius accurately confirmed infection in 22/24 cases (92 %) while prospective specimens found repeatedly reactive by EIA without supplemental Geenius testing were confirmed positive in 29/37 instances (78 %). A modified usage of the Geenius HIV-1/2 Supplemental Assay antibody test may provide utility in the supplementation of testing of oral fluid for the presence of HIV-1 antibody.

Testing for Sexually Transmitted Diseases in US Public Health Laboratories, 2016.

Background:Laboratory testing practices are an important part of sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnosis and control. The goal of this article is to describe the volume and types of STD tests performed in public health laboratories (PHLs) in the United States in 2016.Methods:A total of 105 state and local PHLs who were members of the Association of Public Health Laboratories were invited to participate in a survey between May and August 2017. This web-based survey included questions on types of tests offered for different types of STDs, the number of tests offered in 2016, and number of samples that tested positive for each STD.Results:Eighty-one (77.1%) of 105 member PHLs responded. Overall in 2016, 2,242,728 Chlamydia trachomatis tests, 2,298,596 Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) tests, 1,235,037 Treponema pallidum (syphilis) tests, 177,571 Trichomonas vaginalis tests, 37,101 herpes simplex virus tests, and 8707 human papillomavirus tests were performed in 2016 in surveyed laboratories. Sixty-seven (82.7%) of PHLs offered C. trachomatis and GC nucleic acid amplification testing. Ninety percent of laboratories performed syphilis testing, 42% performed T. vaginalis testing, and 28.4% performed herpes simplex virus type–specific nucleic acid amplification testing. Few laboratories tested for human papillomavirus.Conclusions:This survey collected important information on PHL STD laboratory testing practices. Capacity for important reference laboratory testing, such as GC culture and antimicrobial susceptibility, are needed to support STD programs. Public health laboratories play a key role in STD screening, surveillance, and prevention by offering test methods that are not available at commercial laboratories. Funding constraints affect the resources available for STD screening and surveillance, and thus, it is important to continue to monitor testing practices and the capacity of PHLs to test for STDs.

PulseNet and the Changing Paradigm of Laboratory-Based Surveillance for Foodborne Diseases.

PulseNet, the National Molecular Subtyping Network for Foodborne Disease Surveillance, was established in 1996 through a collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service; the US Food and Drug Administration; 4 state public health laboratories; and the Association of Public Health Laboratories. The network has since expanded to include 83 state, local, and food regulatory public health laboratories. In 2016, PulseNet was estimated to be helping prevent an estimated 270 000 foodborne illnesses annually. PulseNet is undergoing a transformation toward whole-genome sequencing (WGS), which provides better discriminatory power and precision than pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). WGS improves the detection of outbreak clusters and could replace many traditional reference identification and characterization methods. This article highlights the contributions made by public health laboratories in transforming PulseNet's surveillance and describes how the transformation is changing local and national surveillance practices. Our data show that WGS is better at identifying clusters than PFGE, especially for clonal organisms such as Salmonella Enteritidis. The need to develop prioritization schemes for cluster follow-up and additional resources for both public health laboratory and epidemiology departments will be critical as PulseNet implements WGS for foodborne disease surveillance in the United States.

Development of a syphilis serum bank to support research, development, and evaluation of syphilis diagnostic tests in the United States

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of STD Prevention, in collaboration with the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), is developing a nationally available syphilis serum repository for research of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared or investigational syphilis diagnostic assays in the United States. State and local public health laboratories (PHL) submitted de-identified residual sera with information on collection date, volume, storage conditions, freeze-thaw cycles, PHL serology results, reported syphilis stage and demographic details if available. Previous test results were blinded and sera (N = 152 reported syphilis stage, N = 131 unknown status) were tested at CDC using five FDA-cleared and one investigational syphilis tests. Treponemal and nontreponemal test sensitivity ranged from 76.3–100% and 63.2–100%, respectively, among staged specimens. The conventional treponemal assays showed high concordance of 95.4%. By providing syphilis stage and comprehensive serological test data, developed repository may serve as a valuable resource for diagnostic test validation studies.

484. Metallo-β-Lactamase-Positive Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network, 2017–2018

BackgroundInfections with metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing organisms are emerging in the United States. Treatment options for these infections are limited. We describe MBL genes among carbapenemase positive carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CP-CRE) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CP-CRPA) isolates tested during the first two years of the Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network (AR Lab Network).MethodsState and local public health laboratories tested CRE and CRPA isolates for organism identification, antimicrobial susceptibility, and PCR-based detection of blaKPC, blaNDM, blaOXA-48-like, blaVIM, and blaIMP carbapenemase genes. All testing results were sent to CDC at least monthly.ResultsSince January 2017, the AR Lab Network tested 21,733 CRE and 14,141 CRPA. CP-CRE were detected in 37% of CRE; 2% of CRPA were CP-CRPA. Among CP-CRE, 9% (686/8016) were MBL-producers (NDM, VIM, or IMP). Among MBL-producers, a blaNDM gene was detected most often (81%; 551/686). blaNDM were most common among Klebsiella spp. (47%; 261/551), blaIMP were most common among Providencia spp. (53%; 40/75), blaVIM was most common among Enterobacter spp. (19%; 25/62). Twelve percent (96) of MBL CP-CRE contained more than one carbapenemase gene. Among CP-CRPA, 73% (218/300) were MBL producers and blaVIM was the most common gene (62%; 186). Three (1%) MBL CP-CRPA contained more than one carbapenemase.ConclusionIncreased testing of CRE and CRPA isolates through the AR Lab Network has facilitated early and rapid detection of hard-to-treat infections caused by MBL-producing organisms across the United States. The widespread distribution of MBL genes highlights the continued need for containment strategies that help prevent transmission between patients and among healthcare facilities. To support therapeutic decisions for severe infections caused by MBL-producing organisms, the AR Lab Network is now offering rapid susceptibility testing against aztreonam/avibactam, using digital dispenser technology. This testing program aims to close the gap between the availability of new drugs or drug combinations and the availability of commercial AST methods, thereby improving patient safety and antimicrobial stewardship. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

An Overview of PulseNet USA Databases.

PulseNet USA is the molecular surveillance network for foodborne disease in the United States. The network consists of state and local public health laboratories, as well as food regulatory agencies, that follow PulseNet's standardized protocols to perform pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) and analyze the results using standardized software. The raw sequences are uploaded to the GenomeTrakr or PulseNet bioprojects at the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The PFGE patterns and analyzed sequence data are uploaded in real time with associated demographic data to the PulseNet national databases managed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The PulseNet databases are organism specific and provide a central storage location for molecular and demographic data related to an isolate. Sequences are compared in the databases, thereby facilitating the rapid detection of clusters of foodborne diseases that may represent widespread outbreaks. WGS genotyping data, for example, antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles, are also uploaded in real time to the PulseNet databases to improve food safety surveillance activities.

Economic Assessment of Reverse Algorithm Syphilis Screening in a High Prevalence Population.

More laboratories are screening for syphilis with automated treponemal immunoassays. We compared direct costs and downstream consequences when a local public health laboratory switches from a traditional algorithm (nontreponemal screening) to a reverse algorithm (treponemal screening). We created a decision analysis model based on laboratory and surveillance data to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a reverse syphilis-screening algorithm from the perspectives of the Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (laboratory + STD Program costs) in 2015 US dollars. The estimated total costs for the Department (Public Health Laboratories) were $2,153,225 ($367,119) for the traditional algorithm and $2,197,478 ($239,855) for the reverse algorithm. Reverse algorithm screening was estimated to detect an additional 626 cases of syphilis, 9.7% more than the traditional algorithm. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the reverse algorithm from the Public Health Department's perspective was $39 per additional syphilis case detected. Cost of follow-up, screening test costs, positivity rates, and frequency of repeat infections most affected the cost-effectiveness of reverse algorithm. Costs were significantly higher for the reverse algorithm when the enzyme Immunoassay/chemiluminescence immunoassay screening test cost was the same as the published Centers for Medicaid Services treponemal test cost. Using the reverse algorithm would have been slightly more expensive for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, but would have identified more syphilis cases and would have resulted in lower laboratory costs.

A waterborne outbreak of multiple diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli infections associated with drinking water at a school camp

BackgroundIn June 2015, a local public health laboratory was notified that students had developed gastroenteritis symptoms after attending a camp. An outbreak investigation was conducted to determine the extent and cause of the outbreak. MethodA retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine the correlations between the illness and specific exposures at the school camp. All attendees were interviewed with a standard questionnaire that addressed clinical symptoms, food consumption, and environmental exposures. Clinical specimens were cultured using standard microbiological methods for bacterial and viral pathogens. The genetic relationships of all isolates were determined using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). ResultsA total 188 patients with symptoms of diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and nausea were identified. The completed questionnaires suggested that the consumption of drinking water was likely to be linked to this outbreak. Using microbiological methods, enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli, enteropathogenic E. coli, and enteroaggregative E. coli were isolated, and the isolates from both patient stool and environmental water samples displayed indistinguishable XbaI-PFGE patterns. The water system in the camp used groundwater drawn from a private underground reservoir for cooking and drinking. The environmental investigation revealed some problems with the water supply system, such as the use of inappropriate filters in the water purifier and a defect in the pipeline between the reservoir and the chlorination device. ConclusionsThis outbreak points to the importance of drinking water quality management in group facilities where underground water is used and emphasizes the need for periodic sanitation and inspection to prevent possible waterborne outbreaks.

Near Real-Time Surveillance of U.S. Norovirus Outbreaks by the Norovirus Sentinel Testing and Tracking Network - United States, August 2009-July 2015.

Norovirus is the leading cause of endemic and epidemic acute gastroenteritis in the United States (1). New variant strains of norovirus GII.4 emerge every 2-4 years (2-4) and are often associated with increased disease and health care visits (5-7). Since 2009, CDC has obtained epidemiologic data on norovirus outbreaks from state health departments through the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) (8) and laboratory data through CaliciNet (9). NORS is a web-based platform for reporting waterborne, foodborne, and enteric disease outbreaks of all etiologies, including norovirus, to CDC. CaliciNet, a nationwide electronic surveillance system of local and state public health and regulatory agency laboratories, collects genetic sequences of norovirus strains associated with gastroenteritis outbreaks. Because these two independent reporting systems contain complementary data, integration of NORS and CaliciNet records could provide valuable public health information about norovirus outbreaks. However, reporting lags and inconsistent identification codes in NORS and CaliciNet records have been an obstacle to developing an integrated surveillance system.

An Economic Evaluation of PulseNet: A Network for Foodborne Disease Surveillance.

The PulseNet surveillance system is a molecular subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories designed to identify and facilitate investigation of foodborne illness outbreaks. This study estimates health and economic impacts associated with PulseNet. The staggered adoption of PulseNet across the states offers a natural experiment to evaluate its effectiveness, which is measured as reduction of reported illnesses due to improved information, enhanced industry accountability, and more-rapid recalls. Economic impacts attributable to PulseNet include medical costs and productivity losses averted due to reduced illness. Program costs are also reported. Better information and accountability from enhanced surveillance is associated with large reductions of reported illnesses. Data collected between 1994 and 2009 were assembled and analyzed between 2010 and 2015. Conservatively, accounting for underreporting and underdiagnosis, 266,522 illnesses from Salmonella, 9,489 illnesses from Escherichia coli (E. coli), and 56 illnesses due to Listeria monocytogenes are avoided annually. This reduces medical and productivity costs by $507 million. Additionally, direct effects from improved recalls reduce illnesses from E. coli by 2,819 and Salmonella by 16,994, leading to $37 million in costs averted. Annual costs to public health agencies are $7.3 million. The PulseNet system makes possible the identification of food safety risks by detecting widespread or non-focal outbreaks. This gives stakeholders information for informed decision making and provides a powerful incentive for industry. Furthermore, PulseNet enhances the focus of regulatory agencies and limits the impact of outbreaks. The health and economic benefits from PulseNet and the foodborne disease surveillance system are substantial.

Resurgence of Pertussis and Its Laboratory Diagnosis

AbstractPrevention of whooping cough by vaccination has been one of the outstanding successes in modern medical history. However, despite the great efforts made to improve vaccine safety and efficacy, as well as campaigns for immunization, there has been a worldwide resurgence of pertussis since the early 1990s. These outbreaks occur independently of the vaccine coverage rates or economic standards of the affected region. The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has documented statewide outbreaks, such as “Pertussis Outbreak—Vermont, 1996,” “Notes from the Field: Pertussis—California, 2010,” “Pertussis Epidemic—Washington, 2012,” and, most recently, “Pertussis Epidemic—California, 2014.” This review summarizes the pathogenesis of a strict human pathogen, Bordetella pertussis; CDC guidelines for clinical diagnosis, rapid molecular tests, and the test design principles supporting clinical diagnostics; and the importance of culture and submission of isolates to the local public health laboratory. Finally, we discuss the evolution of a host niche-specialized pathogen and the implications of a vaccination that does not attain complete host immunity.

Predictors of Capacity in Public Health, Environmental, and Agricultural Laboratories

Ensuring adequate capacity to address population health concerns has challenged public health for decades. Organizational and workforce characteristics are theorized to contribute to organizational capacity. This article considers 2 possible quantitative measures of organizational capacity using public health, environmental, and agricultural laboratories (PHEALs) as the unit of interest and tests their associations with workforce and human resources variables. The National Laboratory Capacity Assessment was developed by the University of Michigan Center of Excellence in Public Health Workforce Studies and the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Online data collection took place from July to September 2011. All statistical analyses were performed in 2013. US PHEALs were invited to participate in the study. All study participants were Association of Public Health Laboratories members. The Association of Public Health Laboratories distributed the National Laboratory Capacity Assessment survey to 105 PHEAL directors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, including 50 state public health laboratories, 41 local public health laboratories, 8 environmental laboratories, and 6 agricultural laboratories. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess relationships between outcome measures of overall capacity and averaged program capacity and variables representing characteristics of PHEALs and their workforce, including number of workers, proportion of scientists, education, experience, training, and equipment quality. The survey achieved a 76% response rate. Both capacity models showed that PHEALs offering an array of training opportunities are 4 times more likely to report higher capacity scores. One model showed a positive association between workforce size and capacity. Worker education and equipment quality were negatively associated with capacity in both models. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence that some workforce factors may influence organizational capacity of PHEALs. Techniques used to measure capacity and workforce factors must be improved to produce consistent findings across public health organizational data sets.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae – A National Public Health Perspective

A worldwide cause of atypical bacterial pneumonia, Mycoplasma pneumoniae affects all populations and age groups and is especially common in young adults and children. In the United States alone, M. pneumoniae causes up to 40% of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) cases in some populations and is characterized by relatively long incubation periods and a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms and disease manifestations. The varied presentation and limited diagnostic methods available present unique challenges for accurately identifying M. pneumoniae cases, which can lead to inappropriate treatment of patients and/or an ineffective (or nonexistent) public health response to outbreaks. Recent advancements in diagnostics, laboratory techniques, and whole genome sequence information are addressing these issues. Newly developed and highly innovative approaches and techniques have allowed for unprecedented characterization of this organism and have led to improved awareness of many facets of M. pneumoniae. Still, considerable challenges remain for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of this organism. Lack of standardized and reliable diagnostic tests for use in clinical laboratories and in state and local public health laboratories continues to impede efficient detection of clusters and outbreaks. Clear recommendations for outbreak control are also lacking. Worldwide emergence of macrolide resistance is a particular area of concern facing physicians who seek safe and effective alternative treatment regimens, especially for children. This review summarizes the current state of understanding of the many aspects surrounding M. pneumoniae infection and addresses outstanding domestic issues still confronting public health. A unique prospective and overview of the many features involved in conducting an outbreak investigation and effective public health response is also reported. Keywords: Atypical bacterial pneumonia, CAP, epidemiology, Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Using Interorganizational Partnerships to Strengthen Public Health Laboratory Systems

Due to the current economic environment, many local and state health departments are faced with budget reductions. Health department administrators and public health laboratory (PHL) directors need to assess strategies to ensure that their PHLs can provide the same level of service with decreased funds. Exploratory case studies of interorganizational partnerships among local PHLs in California were conducted to determine the impact on local PHL testing services and capacity. Our findings suggest that interorganizational forms of cooperation among local PHLs can help bolster laboratory capacity by capturing economies of scale, leveraging scarce resources, and ensuring access to affordable, timely, and quality laboratory testing services. Interorganizational partnerships will help local and state public health departments continue to maintain a strong and robust laboratory system that supports their role in communicable disease surveillance.

Milwaukee Laboratory System Improvement Program (L-SIP)

The Laboratory System Improvement Program (L-SIP) of the Association of Public Health Laboratories aims to improve state public health laboratory (PHL) system performance through continuous quality improvement. We successfully applied this state assessment tool to a local PHL (LPHL) system by tailoring it to reflect local system needs and created an LPHL system definition explaining how a local system differs from, yet complements, a state system. On November 18, 2010, 75 stakeholders from 40 agencies assessed the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, PHL system, capturing themes, strengths and weaknesses of the system, and scores for each of the 10 Essential Public Health Services. A Laboratory Advisory Committee analyzed assessment results to identify a strategic focus of research and workforce development and define an action plan, which is now being carried out. Milwaukee's L-SIP process is effectively improving LPHL system research and workforce development while raising community awareness of the system.

Laboratory-Based Surveillance of Non-typhoidalSalmonellaInfections in Guangdong Province, China

Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne pathogens in humans. Laboratory-based surveillance for non-typhoidal Salmonella infection was conducted in Guangdong Province, China to improve understanding about the disease burden and detection of dispersed outbreaks. Salmonella isolated from patients with diarrhea were sent from 16 sentinel hospitals to local public health laboratories for confirmation, serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PFGE patterns were analyzed to identify clusters representing potential outbreaks. Between September 2009 and October 2010, 352 (4%) Salmonella isolates were obtained from 9167 stool specimens. Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (45%) and Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis (13%) were the most common serotypes, and multidrug resistance was high, especially in Salmonella Typhimurium isolates. PFGE patterns of obtained Salmonella isolates were found to be diverse, but a unique PFGE pattern comprising 53 Salmonella Typhimurium isolates were found to occur almost exclusively in infants. Epidemiologic studies are ongoing to determine whether a common exposure is the source of the Salmonella Typhimurium strain frequently isolated from infants.